Lens based PortraitTaken on the iphone 12 pro
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Exhibition:For this piece I really wanted to focus on something I don't really have all that much experience with. Photography has always been something i´ve been interested in, and I´m happy that I finally chose to do a lens based project. My dominant hand has been injured for the past half of the year, which has been greatly motivating. But, i´m glad i still can create cool art even though it´s not with a paintbrush or pencil.
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Inspiration:
Joel-Peter Witkin is an American photographer that lives in Albuquerque, Mexico. The themes of his work often include death. His work included unclaimed corpses from a hospital in Mexico. Mexico was the only place where he could execute his art legally. Witkin would use bodies of women, men, children, animals, people with dwarfism and intersex and transgender persons. Witkin would use these bodies to recreate famous classical paintings and religious episodes in the form of this obscure photography.
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Planning:
There were so many different Joel Peter Witkin pieces that I wanted to take inspiration from. So it was difficult to really find an idea that stuck. I chose to recreate Witkin´s self portrait because I like the mysteriousness about it. I had a few questions about it such as: ̈ Why is he in such a shy pose, like he looks like he wants to sink into his jacket?" ¨ why is his jacket collar popped up?¨ "Why is he masked? and why is Jesus in the space between his eyes?" These questions I had intrigued me. I drew out ideas for lighting and positions.
Experimentation:
I took a about 10 different photos from different angles. I adjusted my lighting and positions. I played around with the lighting I have in my room as well as the lighting I let my phone intake. I experimented with saturation, sharpness, vibrancy, highlights, shadows and contrast.
Process:
I began by browsing the internet for inspiration. I came across Witkin's self portrait and was intrigued by the mysteriousness within it. I had no black paper to recreate Witkin's mask so I improvised with a piece of blue, almost paisley designed cardstock paper. I cut out a rectangle and folded it in half so that both the sides of the mask would be even. After i had my desired shape I cut out two holes for the eyes. I went back and perfected the edges of everything. I asked my boyfriend if he would like to be the subject in this project and he politely agreed. So, I fit the mask to his face to make sure it looked right.
In my inspiration, Wikin has a figure of Jesus placed in the space between his eyes. I used my computer and printed out different sized photos of Jesus on the cross so I could find the best one to fit. When I had one that was the perfect size, I adhered it to the space between the eyes of the mask with some pieces of tape. Witkin was the mask attached to his head with a piece of sting. I couldn't find any string so I just attached it to my boyfriends face with two small pieces of tape. My boyfriend was wearing collared shirt so i popped up the collar so it resembled the collar on Witkin's coat in the photo. I decided to take my my pictures in the basement of my house. I chose to take the phtotos in my basement because its pitch black in there with all the lights off. I wanted to create a photo with dramatic contrast. I had one table lamp on when i took the pictures so I would have a great divide in the highlights and the shadows. I took about 10 different photos. Some with flash, some without. Some with the front camera of my phone, some with the back. The photo I chose to edit was one I took with my front camera.
My boyfriend was facing the opposite way in the picture so I just flipped the image so that he would be facing the same way as in my inspiration. I edited everything for my picture on my Iphone 12 pro. After I had my image flipped I decreased the color saturation and vibrance 100%. I then lowered the exposure and increased the contrast, shadows and highlights. I increased the definition and sharpness of the photo so my boyfriends silhouette wouldn't get lost in the white background. In some of witkin's other pieces, the lighting around the edges of his photographs are tinged darker than the rest of the photo. I've also seen some black scratch like marks around the edges so I added that in my own piece as well with the pencil tool on my photos app.
Critique:
Similarities:
Both, mine and Wikin's pieces have a high amount of contrast. Both have an absence of color as well. Both pieces have that vintage, weathered look around the edges. The whole composition is similar as well. Another similarity is the background. I fortunately have drywall that is textured similarly to the background in Wikin's print. |
Differences:
My photo is more zoomed in than my inspiration and the lighting is more subtle. The lighting in Witkin's is more bight and centered on his face. The poses are slightly different as well. |
Reflection:
This project overall wasn't too difficult to complete. The most difficult part to me at least was choosing what piece I wanted to use for inspiration. Ive always liked photo editing so I also had a nice time completing this project as well. I think that If I were to do this project again I would challenge myself a little more to get out of my comfort zone. I possible could chose a more difficult piece for inspiration or just change the location of where I take the picture to really push myself. I loved playing around with the lighting and the angles in this piece for my experimentation.
Connection to the ACT:
1. Clearly explain and describe how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationship between your inspiration upon your artwork?
- I am able to identify the cause and effect relationship between my inspiration upon my artwork by the overall composition of the piece. Because Joel Peter Wikins pieces are in black and white I got rid of all the saturation in my rendition of his self portrait. I also edited it so it would have that more vintage look to it.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
. Joel Peter Witkin is an incredible artist with an incredible vision. He brought out the beauty in death. Witkin created things that no other artists have before. His work is disturbing but intriguing.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
- Witkin is an American artist. To execute the type of art he wanted to make, he had to move to Mexico so he could proceed legally. His work is disturbing but beautiful. His work would make people uncomfortable and curious.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspiration research?
- The central idea/theme around my inspiration research is finding light in the darkness. Witkin would position the lifeless bodies so lifelike, one couldn't even tell they were actually dead.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the bases of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
- Joel peter witkin is an extraordinary man. He pushed the boundaries of art.
- I am able to identify the cause and effect relationship between my inspiration upon my artwork by the overall composition of the piece. Because Joel Peter Wikins pieces are in black and white I got rid of all the saturation in my rendition of his self portrait. I also edited it so it would have that more vintage look to it.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
. Joel Peter Witkin is an incredible artist with an incredible vision. He brought out the beauty in death. Witkin created things that no other artists have before. His work is disturbing but intriguing.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
- Witkin is an American artist. To execute the type of art he wanted to make, he had to move to Mexico so he could proceed legally. His work is disturbing but beautiful. His work would make people uncomfortable and curious.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspiration research?
- The central idea/theme around my inspiration research is finding light in the darkness. Witkin would position the lifeless bodies so lifelike, one couldn't even tell they were actually dead.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the bases of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
- Joel peter witkin is an extraordinary man. He pushed the boundaries of art.
Bibliography:
“Joel-Peter Witkin, Self Portrait , 1984.” Etherton Gallery, https://ethertongallery.com/artists/47-joel-peter-witkin/works/10315-joel-peter-witkin-self-portrait-1984/.